


Breaking Point

by Fire_Sign



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, MFMM Year of Quotes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 02:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15764562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Sign/pseuds/Fire_Sign
Summary: Phryne and Jack attend a dinner, and Phryne has to confront some criticism of our dear detective inspector.





	Breaking Point

**Author's Note:**

> For the August quote "Bite me", which is a little bit of a stretch. But the sentiment was there.
> 
> I started this because I wanted a fic where Phrack are out somewhere and instead of some woman making it clear how swoonworthy Jack is, she takes Phryne aside to basically go "He's really rather plain, isn't he?" and Phryne takes deep personal offense because the idea amused me. The result is fun, if not particularly deep.
> 
> And just a quick reminder: [Ficathon signups are open until the 28th, so get those prompts in!](http://firesign23.tumblr.com/post/177234044855/phryne-ficathon-4)

Phryne did not, as a matter of principle, judge other women for their choices. Society was quite vicious enough without her turning claws onto her own sex. It was much more agreeable to support other women, help them when and where she could, and acknowledge the occasional restrictions the world imposed upon them. Gossips could attribute any number of unsavory qualities to Phryne, but pettiness was not amongst them.

Helena Kitchener was trying those principles to their very breaking point. 

Oh, the evening had started well enough—Jack had barely grumbled as she’d helped him into his dinner jacket, as he was rather eager to meet a fellow numismatist at the party; Charles Wentworth was an expert in the field. And Jack had looked positively delectable, as Phryne knew she herself did. The drive over had involved roaming hands and his lips on her throat. The meal had been delicious, and watching Jack eat from across the table had been… a revelation. She had been forced to slip her foot from her shoe and nestle her foot on his lap, where his free hand massaged the ball of her foot while she attempted to massage something else entirely. Yes, the evening had been going very well indeed.

Then Helena—who Phryne decided she had never liked—had sashayed over, demanding an introduction to Jack. Phryne had been prepared for this, of course—Jack was both a novelty and the best-looking man in the room, and curiosity was to be expected. Phryne insinuated her arm around his elbow as she made the introductions, quite ready to make her claim clear if Helena overstepped—Phryne did not _judge_ a woman on her reputation, but that didn’t mean she was unaware of it. 

To her surprise—and yes, slight consternation—Helena managed approximately two minutes of dull conversation before asking if she could, perhaps, borrow Phryne for a moment? Phryne glanced to Jack, having a quick and silent conversation with raised eyebrows and head tilts, and then stepped away. Jack moved towards the refreshments table, and Phryne followed Helena to a quieter corner. Perhaps she was in need of a private detective.

“That’s your dashing Antipodean suitor? The one you’ve been speaking of incessantly?” she asked instead, gesturing towards where Jack was eating a canapé. 

Well, _incessantly_ was a bit harsh. “Yes.”

“He’s not what I expected.”

“Pardon me?”

Helena hesitated. “He’s just… he’s rather dull, isn’t he, darling?”

“That’s a matter of opinion, Helena dear,” Phryne said, forcing a smile. “I’m rather taken with him.”

“Yes, I can see that. What I cannot see is _why_. The man was enthusing over coins at dinner. _Coins_!”

“Jack has many interests, which is often an advantage in his line of work,” Phryne said, feeling a muscle in her cheek twitch as she kept the smile.

“That’s another thing!” Helena exclaimed, glancing around quickly when she realised she’d raised her voice and dropping it once more. “A plodding policeman, Phryne? You cannot be serious.”

“It’s a perfectly respectable occupation.”

“Yes. Respectable. Which is another word for dull, in my experience.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree. Strenuously, as it happens.”

Her smile was definitely slipping, because Helena attempted to appear contrite.

“I meant no offense, Phryne. It’s just… you could have any man in London. Scandalous cads. Dukes and princes. Athletes and artists. And instead you are… he’s not even particularly handsome!”

It was rare for Phryne to be rendered speechless, and while the state did not persist, it did occur.

“Are you blind as well as stupid?” Phryne asked after a moment, unable to hide her incredulity. 

Helena drew herself up to her full height, looking to all intents and purposes like Aunt Prudence on the warpath. Except Aunt Prudence, for all her faults, had better taste. “ _Excuse_ me?” 

“My question was perfectly clear.”

“Oh, I heard. I was just giving you a chance to back down—”

“I don’t back down.”

“No, more fool you. The man’s cheekbones are quite nice, I’ll grant you, but there’s very little else remarkable about him. No spark, no intriguing expressions—he’s dour and dull all the way down to those worn old Oxfords.”

Helena had a rather large feathered comb in her hair, and it bobbed every time she moved her head. Phryne had the sudden and intense urge to snatch the blasted thing and throw it across the room. The woman was being utterly insufferable.

“Jack has more intrigue and wit in his little finger than whatever pretty young man you’ve set your sights on,” Phryne spat. “More intelligence, more beauty, more loyalty… if you can’t see that, you’re a bigger fool than I thought.” Helena looked surprised, but Phryne continued without abatement. “And another thing, Helena Kitchener—”

Phryne felt a touch on the small of her back, and a champagne coupe was shoved into her hand. She turned to see Jack at her side, his attention entirely focused on her; he wouldn’t restrain her with a hand to an arm, not here, but the expression made it abundantly clear he was begging her to refrain.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Miss Fisher,” he said, calm and smooth; it was a tone that she recognised as one he used to defuse tense situations, but found the idea less galling than she would have expected. If she really wanted to have a go, he wouldn’t stop her. “I know it’s terribly rude, but I do believe our song is playing.”

Phryne wasn’t quite sure which song was coming from the gramophone in the corner, but by no stretch of the imagination could it be mistaken for ‘their’ song, whatever that might be. But his eyes were asking so nicely and he danced so beautifully, and Helena was clearly a blind fool, so she passed the champagne coupe to Helena, took his hand, and moved towards the makeshift dance floor.

“What was that about?” he asked quietly as they began to dance.

“Oh, nothing,” Phryne said flippantly.

“It didn’t look like nothing, Phryne. I found myself hoping you weren’t carrying your dagger.”

“Pshaw! I wouldn’t waste my good dagger on the likes of her.”

Jack raised an eyebrow, and Phryne shrugged her shoulders, giving him an insolent grin.

“She was questioning my taste in men.”

“An understandable impulse,” he smirked.

She narrowed her eyes. “I know you think you’re clever, Jack, but that really isn’t funny.”

His mouth quirked, and his thumb stroked against her hips as they continued to move.

“I’m touched, genuinely, that you were defending my honour, Miss Fisher, but I guarantee you that it was unnecessary.”

“She called you dull.”

Said like that, it sounded rather petulant and silly. But Helena’s tone had been aggravating, her opinions factually incorrect, and no doubt she was voicing the thoughts of half the room. No, it was absolutely unacceptable, and Phryne felt her ire rising once more; not even Jack’s hands on her, promising all matters of sin, were enough to forget it, though he did mount a good effort.

The music ended, and Phryne pulled herself from Jack’s arms and scowled in Helena’s general direction.

“I really ought to set her straight,” she said. “That sort of petty stupidity is not to be tolerated.”

“Miss Kitchener will believe me dull regardless of your arguments, Phryne. Isn’t it far better to focus your attention elsewhere?”

“But—”

“For example,” Jack said, leaning in to whisper in her ear, “while Miss Kitchener is mingling with the crowd and contemplating how deeply unfortunate you must be, to have tied yourself to someone so very unappealing, we could be in the library two doors down, that gorgeous gown of yours rucked over your hips as I drive into you from behind until we’re both utterly spent.”

Phryne gave a positively feral smile.

“How very unimaginative of you, Jack,” she purred, linking her arm around his and moving them towards the door. “Alas, it seems my lot in life to be terribly bored.”

“Do try to bear up under the disappointment,” he replied, laughter crinkling the corners of his eyes in the most endearing way. 

She paused just before they left the room, turning back briefly to catch Helena’s eye. Phryne gave a smile that bore no friendliness, and waved her fingers. 

Phryne didn’t like to judge her fellow women, but Helena Kitchener could go to hell.


End file.
